A Peaceful Christmas
by Master Huytin
Summary: Christmas special for AI Football GGO. Enjoy!


A lot had happened since last Christmas.

Last Christmas, Isaac was not even playing GGO Football- and hadn't been for about a decade. In fact, it was the Christmas when he was five years old that he had last seen his father before that. Yet in some inexplicable way, life took that turn one does not expect, and he met Myth.

Now, he was a World Champion.

He turned to watch as Sophie put on her gloves, with the white scarf already wrapped tight around her neck. She had, of course, already wished him a happy birthday; the day ahead promised to be a joy indeed, with all of Team Barefoot going to Shawn's house to celebrate Christmas and his birthday with family members too. It turned out somehow that Isaac's father, Karl's father, and Shawn's parents had all been friends at university. Timmy and Cat's parents would also be there as well. It was a time for family, for friends, for happiness- for love.

As Isaac and Sophie took tender steps on the freshly-laid snow, they heard the soft but satisfying crunch which would come every step, and a trail of two sets of footprints followed them enthusiastically. The footprints were differently shaped, differently sized, and differently spaced. But they moved in the same direction, side-by-side, pointing towards each other as if they could get enough of seeing one another. Isaac glanced behind at the house. New, powdery snow had covered the footprints leading from the door. Yet, as he turned to once again look forward, he heard that crunch, he felt his soles gently sink into the ground, and saw that they were making new footprints. Together. Progressing. And most importantly, far faster than the powdery snow could cover the past ones.

It wasn't that they couldn't talk. It wasn't that they didn't want to talk. Rather, they enjoyed each other's company, and were content to walk together in peace. They had left early, so there were very few people on the streets. The sun was pale but bright, illuminating them and all around them.

And so they made their way towards the park where they would be taking a walk, in a state of calm and collective peacefulness.

"So Susanna will be awake soon?" asked Isaac, feeling ready to talk. Sophie looked him in the eyes and smiled.

"Yes. Ever since she was transferred to the hospital in China, she has been telling me every day how much better she is feeling."

Indeed, after the World Championships had concluded, Susanna had been referred by her French doctor to a Chinese one, so Sophie had come over- to Isaac's joy- and been in China for some time. She said that, through her telepathic connection with her sister, Susanna would be out of her coma very soon.

"Finally. That's great."

"Yeah."

But they were brought out their thoughts when they entered the gates of the park. They silently gasped at the beautiful sight which awaited them. The luscious evergreen trees had been capped by fresh snow, and framed elegantly the frozen pond which was a diamond ring in the center of the scenery. Isaac felt his breath hitch in his throat as he turned to look at Sophie. Her simple pink coat, simple red bobble hat, simple white scarf- they made her look more perfect than any other being in the world. She was watching the baby ducklings skidding and bumping around on the sheet of ice, waddling after their far more graceful mother duck, with a small smile on her lips.

Isaac turned away to concentrate on the scenery too before she caught him staring. They both saw the bridge at the same time, and, somehow, set off to it in unison, but without a word. Sophie stepped onto it first, and Isaac followed. Yet, suddenly…

Isaac slipped on some ice and fell face-first into a pile of snow. He felt an arm reaching out gently for his, and pulling him up. When he turned to look at Sophie, he saw that she was laughing.

"What?!" he asked indignantly, his pride wounded slightly.

"N-nothing- It's just that- I thought you reminded me of those cute ducklings stumbling on the lake." she burst into giggles again.

Isaac could not stay annoyed. The laughter was music to his ears, and Sophie's happiness only made her more radiant than ever- almost shining against the pale background. Isaac felt his heart throb powerfully at the sight, before he joined in on the laughter. Then Sophie paused, and Isaac could have sworn her face was a little red as she brushed some loose snow out of his hair. Maybe, just maybe, he was blushing a bit too.

"T-thanks." he said, absentmindedly touching his hair.

"N-no problem."

That moment, a large bird took flight from a tree overhead. A curtain of snow crashed down, and…

Landed on Isaac's head.

"WOW! How did all of that snow only land on my head?" Isaac huffed. Sophie just laughed again, with greater energy and hysteria.

She beamed, "You know what? I think I'll give up on cleaning the snow off your head for you. It looks quite cute anyway."

Isaac blushed, but thought of a good way to counter back. He put his hand to the huge mound of snow on his head, and scooped a large ball of it. Sophie's eyes widened as she saw what he was about to do.

_SPLAT!_ The snowball hit her squarely in the chest. She groaned, before throwing back a snowball she had hastily gathered with her quick reflexes when she saw him about to throw his projectile. It hit Isaac in the chin. The war was on.

He ran to behind a tree, where he gathered two snowballs: a big one and a smaller, concealable one. He threw the big one powerfully using his right hand towards her right shoulder, knowing that she would have to dodge awkwardly. But using the misdirection caused by the larger snowball, he threw the small one- which had been concealed until then, using a minimal-movement wrist flick from his left hand towards her bare ankle, where he knew it would create discomfort if it connected and melted into her shoe.

But somehow, she did a miraculous jump, and turned and flipped horizontally in the air so one sailed over her, and one plopped beneath her. She landed squarely on her feet, causing Isaac to gasp in surprise, before throwing a monster snowball straight at Isaac. He felt time slowing down, and his life flashing before his eyes, as he tried to accumulate all the limbo knowledge he had learnt over the years into one, life-saving dodge. Sadly, that knowledge was far from abundant, and he only just managed to avoid it, nearly becoming _Quasimodo_ as he bent his back.

It was then that he knew he had to do it. There was no other way. So he got his snowball, and threw it high into the air above him. Sophie watched with her mouth agape. As it fell, Isaac jumped into the air, and kicked it-

"ROARING FLAME STRIKE!"

-His foot went straight through the feeble snowball, and it crumbled away, landing in several pieces with several plops on the snow; leaving him sailing awkwardly through the air to a maladroit landing on his behind.

Sophie could now no longer hold it.

"HAHAHAHAHA! YOU ACTUALLY TRIED TO KICK IT?! HAHAHAHA!" tears were running down her face now.

"What?! It looked better in my mind okay?!" Isaac sulked. His bottom was now completely soaked.

That moment, they locked eyes, and all previous expressions fell away. Isaac took her hand in his own. He would never know why he did it. Sophie had taken off her gloves in order to get a better grip on the snowballs, and her hands were now rosily flushed.

"A-are your hands cold?" he stammered, now not sure whether his surprise initiative had been a good thing after all.

"N-no..."

Isaac looked at Sophie. Her cheeks were flushed from the snowball fight, and there were still fresh tear tracks from her laughing. Finally, he could not think of anything else to do. He cupped her face in his hands, and leaned in, brushing his lips against hers in a moment's glance, before pulling back suddenly in realisation at what he had done.

"S-sorry! I don't know what came over-"

Sophie pulled him into another kiss. It was not hurried this time, and they lingered there for a few moments. Isaac wondered absentmindedly whether the snow was still on his chin.

Suddenly, he felt his phone ring. They pulled back, smiling at each other for a few moments, before Isaac took the call.

"WHAT IS IT, KARL?! CAN YOU NOT CHOOSE ANOTHER TIME?!"

"Eh? Isaac? Where are you? We woke up this morning to find that you and Sophie were both gone! Have you guys eloped or somethin-"

"WE HAVE NOT ELOPED!"

"O-oh ok, s-sorry… Aunt Betty is asking what you two want for breakfast."

Isaac put him down, turning to Sophie. Her face was flushed even more than before. He took her hand in his own once more, before picking up the phone again with his left hand.

"Well be back soon." he said, hanging up. He turned to face Sophie again. They shared one more, brief kiss before they stood up.

"Let's get going then."

**A/N- Wow! I can't believe I wrote this. Forgive me if this romance is poor; first time is probably not going to be too amazing.**

**Well merry Christmas, everyone! Happy birthday to Isaac too; sorry, Isaac, that I didn't really mention your birthday here!**

**One story to go! Let's do it!**


End file.
